The Tennessee Titans made a massive offseason move when they acquired cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs via trade in exchange for a 2025 third-round selection and a swap of seventh-round picks.
The Titans then signed Sneed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. It was an appropriate contract for a two-time Super Bowl winner.
Now that Derrick Henry is no longer with the Titans, Sneed is one of few players on Ran Carthon's roster that has an argument for being the best player in the league at his position. The other would be defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, but the list ends there. Together, Sneed and Simmons will spearhead the new-look defense under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is one of the more ascending talents at his respective position in the league. When recently speaking with NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, Porter Jr. was asked to provide his top five cornerbacks in the NFL. He listed Sneed at No. 1 overall.
"There's a lot of good cornerbacks," Porter Jr. said. "I think Sneed is like that. McDuffie is a baller. Jaylon Johnson from the Bears, I think he's a dog. Surtain's like that. That's already known. And then I'd probably throw me in there obviously," Porter Jr. concluded.
Notably absent from Porter Jr.'s list was New York Jets cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner.
#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. lists his top 5 NFL corners! 🔒 pic.twitter.com/X1Imqt9imP
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 25, 2024
In 2023, Pro Football Focus credited Sneed with allowing an opposing passer rating of 55.9, the fifth-lowest mark among all qualifying cornerbacks (145 or more coverage snaps).
Quarterbacks completed just 42 of the 81 passes they attempted in his direction for 406 yards and zero touchdowns. That led to a target-to-completion conversion rate of 51.8%, yet PFF assigned him an overall coverage grade of 71.9, which feels less than Sneed deserved.
The Titans are expecting Sneed to be the leader of one of the best cornerback trios in the league. The 2020 All-Rookie Team selection will command a role on the boundary opposite free-agent signing Chido Awuzie. Third-year cornerback Roger McCreary will occupy the nickel with the Titans having three high-level players in clear roles.
As the DC, Wilson is installing an aggressive scheme for head coach Brian Callahan that may blitz quarterbacks with more regularity than Titans fans are used to. Wilson wants the cornerbacks to play press-man coverage with consistency. Sneed is one of the better press-man corners around the league, making him a tailor-made fit for this Titans defense.
His peers agree.